Slat end guide for venetian blinds



0V. 13, 1956 5 BOND SLAT END GUIDE FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed May 14, 1953 FIG. 1

INVENTQR .5201? A Ban/0.

I M IA/A, H ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent fiiee 2,770,296 Patented Nov. 13, 1956 SLAT END GUIDE FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Scott R. Bond, North Plainfield, N. J., assignor to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg. Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 14, 1953, Serial No. 355,076

4 Claims. (Cl. 160-173) This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blind organizations and, more particularly, to improvements in guide pin fittings therefor.

In certain Venetian blind assemblies, guide means are provided at the jamb surfaces of the opening at which the blind is mounted, the guide means cooperating with means on the ends of the slats whereby the blind is confined to substantially a vertical plane without interfering with either raising or tilting of the slats. In the usual construction, the guide means consists of vertically extending channels on the confronting jamb surfaces of the opening, and guide pins provided on the ends of slats protrude into and slide along these channels. In certain prior Venetian blinds of this type, the guide pins on the ends of the slats have been ditficult to assemble in the channels. Further, the pins, when made of metal, were prone to rattle in the channels when wind blew the blind. Additionally, diificulty was experienced in designing a suitable compact construction for attaching the pins to the ends of the slats.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved guide-pin-providing fitting for attachment to the ends of Venetian blind slats, the fitting being easily and securely attachable to the slats and having a pin of such construction that it may readily be assembled in, or disassembled from, the slat-guiding channel, either before or after assembly of the fitting with the slat.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an integral guide-pin-providing element of the above character which is made of springy plastic material, whereby the element may be deformed in applying it to the slat end and will tightly grip the slat end to resist displacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved assembly of a Venetian blind with slat-guiding channels and guide pins of the above-referred-to type on the ends of at least certain of the slats.

My invention is clearly defined in the appended claims. In the claims, as well as in the description, parts are at times identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. Further, where parts are, for clarity and convenience, referred to on the basis of their oriented position shown in the accompanying drawing, no limitation as to positioning of the guide-pin fitting is to be implied, since it will be understood that such fitting may be inverted. The best form inwhich I have contemplated applying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentany elevation of a blind embodying the invention. Y i

Fig. 2 is an isometric view" of the guide-pin fitting of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragnrentary bottom, plan view of the guidepin-providing fitting mounted on the end of a slat, the pin of the fitting being engaged within a guide channel which is shown in cross section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through a slat and the slat-engaging portion of the fitting, taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through a slat and the slatengaging portion of the fitting, taken generally along the center line of the slat.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the guide-pin fitting, taken generally along the line 66 of Fig. 3 and indicating the relation of the guide pin to the channel.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary isometric view of a guide channel and slat having a guide-pin fitting attached thereto, illustrating one manner of assembly of the guide pin in the channel.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates the slats of a Venetian blind supported in the usual manner on ladder tapes 11, of which one is shown in Fig. 1. The blind is mounted in an opening such as a window having a frame, of which a portion is shown at 12. The confronting jamb surfaces of the frame are provided with opposed vertical channel members 14 (one shown), each having flanges 15, 15 extending toward each other to form a longitudinally extending T-shap ed slot within the channel. The channel 14 is attached to the frame 12 as by wood screws 16.

Guide-pin-providing fittings 17 preferably are not assembled on all of the slats but may be placed alternately first on one and then on the other end of every fourth or fifth slat, or at other equal intervals. The pins of the fittings 17 are designed to be received within the channel 14 in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, whereby the blind is constrained to lie in a vertical plane but the slats are left free for raising the blind or for tilting the slats to blind-closed position.

The fitting 17, which in the embodiment shown is an integral molded body of springy plastic material, has a slat-engaging portion 19 and a guide pin portion 20 projecting therefrom along the prolongation of the center line of the slat. The slatengaging portion 19 has a generally U-shaped longitudinal section as shown in Fig. 5, a lower jaw 21 preferably being of open-frame configuration and an upper jaw 22 being of imperforate construction and of similar external keystone shape symmetrical with respect to the pin portion 20.

The lower jaw 21 has an over-all width (transverse to the slat) which is a substantial part of the width of the slat, in the embodiment shown the width being about onethird the width of the slat. The lower jaw 21 preferably exceeds the upper jaw 22 somewhat both in over-all width and in length, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. An opening 13, extending through the lower jaw 21, has a configuration and size preferably substantially the same as the upper jaw. As shown in Fig. 4, the jaws are slightly curved in transverse cross section to conform generally to the arched or cambered form of the slats 10.

The jaws 21 and 2:2. are slightly spaced to form a slatreceiving slot 24 therebetween, the slot 24 terminating inwardly in an abutment surface 23. The slot 24 has a width substantially the same as the thickness of the slat stock (about .008 of an inch). Approximately centrally of the lower surface of the upper jaw 22 (the surface opposite jaw 21) a latch portion 25 is provided having a vertical end surface 26 confronting the end 23 of the slot and a lower surface 27 which is an inclined plane extending from the lower end of surface 26 to the lower surface of the upper jaw 22. A conical depression 31 is located centrally of the surface 27.

The cylindrical pin 20 extends centrally from the righthand end of the slat-engaging portion 19 of the fitting,

as shown in Fig. 2. The pin lies generally along the prolongation of the center line of the slat engaged with the fitting and has a mutilated head or flange 32, which is partially circular in elevation as viewed from the outer end of the pin. The pin 20 is of such diameter as to be slidingly received within the slot formed by the flanges 15, 15 of the channel 14, the head 32 having a diameter exceeding the width of this slot but sliding freely along a the interior of the channel. The head 32 is preferably a segment of a circle concentric with the axis of pin 20, the chord being level with the bottom of pin Zli, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and extending parallel to the general plane of a slat engaged with the fitting 17 to allow assembly of the fitting with the channel 14, as will be described.

The slat-engaging portion 19 is attached to the end of the slat by punching a hole 35 centrally of the end portion thereof to receive the latch 25 through the slat at such distance from the end of the slat that when the latch extends through hole 35 the end of the slat snugly engages against the abutment surface 23. Because of the elastic deformability of the jaws 21 and 22, the fitting 17 may be assembled on the slat simply by inserting the end of the slat between the outer ends of the jaws and pressing the fitting on by hand, the end of the slat riding up surface 27 and slightly spreading the jaws until the latch 25 snaps into the hole 35, permitting the jaws to again approach each other and embrace the end portion of the slat.

The fitting 17 is preferably made, as indicated, of a single piece of resilient relatively still plastic material molded to shape. A material found satisfactory for this purpose is cellulose acetate or cellulose butyrate. Such material is tough, sufliciently resilient to afford satisfactory gripping of the slat end by the jaws of the clip portron, and soft enough that pins 20 made therefrom will not rattle audibly in the channel member 14.

The fitting 17 may be assembled on the slats before the blind is mounted at the window opening. The channels 14 and the blind may then be mounted at the window opening. Then, with the blind lowered, each fitting 17 in succession is engaged with the adjacent channel 14 as indicated in Fig. 7. This is accomplished by turning the slat 10 to a substantially vertical position and beyond the position of the slat when the blind is closed, so that the flat side 33 of flange 32 lies approximately parallel to the free edge of one of the flanges 15 of the channel. Then, by flexing the slat slightly, the guide pin may be canted slightly to enter the side of the head 32 opp-osite the flat into the channel 14 so that pin 20 is positioned between the flanges 15, 15, after which the slat may be allowed to resume its normal shape and position. In normal closing of the blind, the slats are not tilted sufficiently to release the fitting 17 from the channel 14 but they may readily be released whenever desired by reversing the above-described procedure.

In some instances, it may be desired to install the blind in the opening before the fittings 17 have been attached to the slats 10. The fittings 17'may then, one by one, be assembled with the channel and attached to slats 10 by first turning the fitting to present it to the channel in much the same position as in Fig. 7 so that the head 32 may readily be inserted within the channel by canting the pin 20 with respect to the channel. After this, the flexibility of the slat 10 will allow its being bent longitudinally sufficiently to allow its end to be introduced between the jaws of the fitting to form the assembly shown in Fig. 3.

If desired, as for cleaning the blind, the fitting 17 may easily be removed from the slats. The latch of the upper jaw may be elevated to free it from the hole in the slat by pressing upwardly on the lower surface of the latch with an instrument such as a nail or prick punch applied to the depression 31 in the latch, which depression receives the end of, and prevents slipping of, the punch. When the latch 25 has been withdrawn from the hole 35 in the slat, the slat may be withdrawn from the fitting 17.

I claim:

1. A thin Venetian blind slat of springy sheet metal having a hole through the slat adjacent to an end thereof, a molded one-piece fitting of resilient plastic astride said end of the slat and providing a guide pin extending lengthwise from the end of the slat, the fitting having a body abutting the end edge of the slat, having a pair of slatbearing portions against one face of the slat and having a third slat-bearing portion against the other face of the slat, the third slat-bearing portion having a protuberance passing through said hole in the slat and thereby securing the fitting to the slat, and said pair of slat-bearing portions being spaced from said hole towards the opposite edges of the slat and providing space between such two slat-bearing portions into which the slat can flex as it rides over said protuberance during telescopic application of the fitting to the slat.

2. A thin Venetian blind slat of springy sheet metal having a hole through the slat adjacent to an end thereof, a molded one-piece fitting of resilient plastic astride said end of the slat and providing a guide pin extending lengthwise from the end of the slat, the fitting having a body abutting the end edge of the slat, having a pair of slatbearing portions against one face of the slat and having a third slat-bearing portion against the other face of the slat, the third slat-bearing portion having a protuberance passing through said hole in the slat and thereby securing the fitting to the slat, said pair of slat-bearing portions being spaced from said hole towards the opposite edges of the slat and providing space between such two slatbearing portions into which the slat can flex as it rides over said protuberance during telescopic application of the fitting to the slat, and the top of the protuberance being inclined to facilitate application of the fitting to the slat.

3. A thin Venetian blind slat of springy sheet metal having a hole through the slat adjacent to an end thereof, a molded one-piece fitting of resilient plastic astride said end of the slat and providing a guide pin extending lengthwise from the end of the slat, the fitting having a body abutting the end edge of the slat, having a pair 'of slatbearing portions against one face of the slat and having a third slat-bearing portion against the other face of the slat, the third slat-bearing portion having a protuberance passing through said hole in the slat and thereby securing the fitting to the slat, said pair of slat-bearing portions being spaced from the hole towards the opposite edges of the slat and providing space between such two slatbearing portions into which the slat can flex as it rides over said protuberance during telescopic application of the fitting to the slat, and the top of the protuberance being provided with a depression to receive a tool for pushing the protuberance out of the hole in the slat for removal of the fitting from the slat.

4. A thin Venetian blind slat of springy sheet metal having a hole through the slat adjacent to an end thereof, a molded one-piece fitting of resilient plastic astride said end of the slat and providing a guide pin extending lengthwise from the end of the slat, the fitting having .a body abutting the end edge of the slat, having a paif of slatbearing portions against one face of the slat and having a third slat-bearing portion against the otherv face of the slat, the third slat-bearing portion having a protuberance passing through said hole in the slat and thereby securing the fitting to the slat, said pair of slat-bearing portions greater than the distance of said hole from the end edge of the slat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Young Apr. 25, 1882 Waltzinger Sept. 20,1938 Wade et al Mar. 28, 1939 6 Pratt Sept. 26, 1939 Dodge Jan. 6, 1942 Stuber Sept. 8, 1942 Silverman May 25, 1943 Falkner Apr. 29, 1947 Marston Aug. 24, 1948 Vicksell Jan. 1, 1952 

